(Note: I expanded the bit about DEs from my Notes From the Front Lines Part 2 and sent it to ChantRant – this is it below)
Number three on my list of concerns, five being the least worrisome and one being the most, is our remaining talent at Defensive End.
PITT has been hit with what might be called “Slow White Guy Syndrome” (SWGS), pronounced “sweeegs”, at DE over the last year and going into this season. At a snapshot taken today we are in a world of hurt if rsJR Dave Durham, an ex-fullback transfer from Ohio State and rsSR Jack Lippert, a career fill-in player on both sides of the LOS, see substantial playing time at the DE position.
Lippert was a high school “Prep Star” and “Tom Lemming All-American” DE so back in 2009 when he chose PITT we thought he’d move right into the DE rotation after a redshirt year. What we actually got was a player who the coaching staffs moved around to try to find playing time for him. He played DE, Center, Right Tackle then landed back at DE last season. He is a player who I really looked forward to watching play at PITT based on his HS career but, as with Dorin Dickerson, the staff never really knew what to do with him. Let’s hope he has a DD-like SR year.
Dave Durham was recruited for the defensive line by OSU, redshirted his FR year and then was switched to Fullback, got some playing time, didn’t like his future there so he slapped Urban Myer repeatedly across the face and then came to PITT
